Themes and Drabbles
by Plainly Simple
Summary: Merely a collection of themes that mainly involve Ling and RanFan, though I might toss in a random story. I'll warn ahead of time. Rated T for future stories.
1. Gifts of Gingerbread

Just a random story that popped into my head the other day. When I mean random, I mean random.

**Disclaimer**: I do not, will not, nor will I ever own Fullmetal Alchemist. I try not to think about owning a series... the pressure -w- I worship the cow's ability to create such a story.-bows down to Arakawa-

**Characters Involved**: Ling Yao  
**Pairing**: None  
**Rating**: G - for all audiences.  
******Spoilers**: None what so ever, unless you haven't met up with Ling yet.  
**Setting**: Central - takes no particular place in the manga nor Brotherhood.  
Small Summary: Following his nose, Ling comes across a small bakery.

* * *

**1. Gifts of Gingerbread**

It was such an unusual little treat; who knew the root could be baked into cookies?

Ling sure didn't.

It all started when the prince grew bored and risked strolling through the streets of Central. Being an illegal immigrant that escaped prison with a psychotic murderer and a condemned criminal in this huge city was never a good idea, but he did it anyways. Besides, he could be there one minute and the next, completely disappear. Talent my dear children.

On this specific winter day, the scent of ginger wafted from a small little bakery nestled between a flower shop and a clothes store, capturing the always hungry teen's attention. With arms crossed, hands hidden in the orange sleeves of his shirt, Ling took a left, then right and walked up to the window, enticed by the sweets displayed there. Oh how he wished he wasn't broke; using the Fullmetal Alchemist's tab was probably a terrible idea. Especially since last time the bean looked upon the food bill, the Prince and his Guard were shoved out of a window- not fun.

Just then a little boy and his mother walked out of the bakery, the soft jingle of the bell on the door brought Ling back out of his fantasy. He looked over to see the boy doing the same. He tugged on the hem on his mother's dress, attempting to get her to pay attention.

"Momma! Mamma…" The boy whined, looking upwards at the woman. "Can I have a cookie, pleeeaaase?" The tone did the trick and the lady bent down to hand the boy a cookie shaped like a little man. Instead of biting into the treat, however, the boy walked up to Ling and held it out to him. "Merry Christmas, mister!" He stated, offering a genuine smile.

Without thinking, Ling took the cookie offered, muttering something as a thanks, amused by the boy's reaction. Giggling, he waved to Ling and pranced back to his mother, grabbing her hand. "Do you think Santa will come and give me a puppy?"

Ling watched the mother pat the kid's head and say "We'll see" before the duo set off down the side walk. Amestris had such strange customs… nothing like Xing.

Making a mental not to ask Fullmetal what 'Christmas' and who this 'Santa' fellow was, the Young Prince looked at the gingerbread cookie, snickering slightly at the fact the frosting was eerily familiar to that of Ed's coat. But there was something that had to be fixed, first. Breaking off the right arm and left leg, also part of the other, Ling approved of his work. There, it was perfect now.

* * *

(AN: I am terribly sorry for what OOC-ness is involved in this story and future others; sometimes it's a little harder for me to get into the cannons' personalities. And this is a little something for the holidays- do you think Santa will bring me a puppy for actually submitting something?

Reviews are love. 3 )


	2. Midnight

Thank you friends for giving me themes to write~

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA, Arakawa does. If I did, the world would go boom~  
**Pairing**: LingFan  
**Rating**: K  
**Spoilers**: None  
**Setting**: Before Ling meets up with the Elric brothers. They're in the Xerxes ruins.  
**Small Summary**: RanFan is always faithful and will go to any measures to keep a keen eye out for her prince, but even a woman like her needs a bit of sleep, too.

* * *

**2. Midnight**

Swirling heat waves rose up from the fine sand of the immense desert that lay between Amestris and Xing, a natural barrier between the two countries. Little nocturnal critters slowly began to crawl from their burrows, scurrying across the sands for food. With the day much too extreme for the animals, night was their only time to forage around upon this desolate land. Unforgiving as it may seem, they've evolved to survive to such conditions, thriving on small meals and little to no water. Humans whether they were fit or not couldn't handle it for long.

With little to no sleep at all, RanFan was perched upon one of the crumbling structures, quietly scanning the desert as her master slept. This quest for immortality was surely going to be a dangerous one, so one must keep their eyes peeled for any sort of dangers that could harm the slumbering Prince. She watched as he shifted in his sleep, reaching out for someone or something not there. As soon as he bolted upright, looking around with a peculiar look upon his face, she was right there beside him.

"Young Master?" She asked in a low murmur.

"Mmf… bad dream" Ling mumbled groggily, letting out a jaw breaking yawn before looking over at the guard. "You should sleep, too, you know." With no response, he grabbed her hand and made the woman sit next to him. "Fine, then I'll stay up to."

Not more then ten minutes passed by and the Prince had dosed back off to sleep, slightly leaning against RanFan. Her mask hid the blush that crept on her cheeks, and not long after did she finally sleep as well.

From his post, the old man chuckled softly under his breath at the scene, thankful his granddaughter slept. Fu kept watch under the midnight moon.

* * *

(AN: Another theme down, whoo~ LingFan love, needs it.)


	3. Irreplaceable

**Disclaimer **: Ling, RanFan, and FMA concept all belong to Hiromu Arakawa, AKA Crazy Cow Lady  
**Pairing**: LingFan  
**Rating **: K  
**Spoilers**: -_**SPOILERS SPOILERS**_- for the end of the manga.  
**Setting**: Takes place after the manga ends. -nodnod-  
**Summary**: Ling is Emperor and Ranfan should be happy, but she's not.

**ONCE AGAIN, Spoilers up to the end of the manga. Read at your own risk.**

* * *

**3. Irreplaceable**

Fine, just great. He finally met his goal. To become emperor of Xing, succeeding his father, gaining the secrets of immortality and even getting rid of the homunculus, Greed… she should be happy their long journey had come to an end. Even though there had been some great losses throughout Amestris, Ling had gained everything they had traveled across the desert for.

_But she wasn't happy._

He lost something that could never be replaced. Every wife he has and will ever have, all the future children, nothing at all could possibly replace it. Nothing could replace _her_.

By his side for as long as she lived, RanFan would stand, protecting him from the many threats the emperor could meet on a daily basis. After accepting the crown, the young man refused every personal guard offered, demanding to keep the one he had. Though flattered, she protested, trying to get through that thick skull of his that would be assassins could wear the mask of an ally. The more guards the better. But Ling still refused. And by his throne she stood. And she should be happy that she could still be at his side.

_But she wasn't happy._

So foolishly, the warrior wished for some different outcome, to be back in Amestris, traveling with the goofball she had come to love. After that monster took over his body, Ling changed. He grew up, matured… perfect emperor material.

RanFan stood by his throne without a word, completely mute. She rarely spoke now a days; it wasn't proper for a servant to speak out of term. When he addressed her directly, the warrior responded with "Yes, your Highness" or "Of course, your Highness." There was no friendly conversation between the two anymore… and probably never would be. It hurt, but Ran sucked it up and ignored her feelings. She must act out on her duties to protect the Emperor and so she did without complaint.

_But she wasn't happy…_

_

* * *

_(AN: For those of you who waited forever for me to update, I'm terribly sorry. ;w; And here I go throwing a sad LingFan drabble at you...)


	4. Underwear

**Disclaimer**: Characters and FMA all belong to Hiromu Arakawa. If I owned it, FMA wouldn't be nearly as cool. :(  
**Pairing**: None, really.  
**Rating**: K+ / T  
**Spoilers**: After Gluttony Ark/ GreedLing  
**Setting**: Somewhere... I dunno, hotel, maybe?  
**Summary**: Ling walks in on RanFan getting a few repairs on her Automail and sees more than he really should have.

* * *

**4. Underwear**

"I swear, RanFan, I-i didn't mean to look!" Ling was very flushed in the cheeks. It didn't occur to him that knocking on the door was the smart thing to do. Not until a kunai had pierced itself in door just centimeters from the top of his head. His face turned redder as his heart beat rose, but he couldn't move from the spot, as though he were mesmerized by the sight before him. And what guy wouldn't be? There stood his personal body guard in nothing but her underwear, quite red in the face herself.

"Y-young M-master?" Her voice squeaked as she quickly snatched the shirt from the bed to cover herself. She squeaked again when a wrench came flying from the corner of the room, knocking the prince to the floor.

"You don't just go barging in on a girls room like that, you idiot!" Winry Rockbell huffed, stomping over to the threshold to retrieve her wrench and slam the door shut. Can't even do a little repairs on a poor girl's automail, sheesh. Men were so impatient. "Didn't mean to look my butt." The blonde mumbled to herself as she approached the petrified warrior. "Can you move your fingers at all?"

"_Nice one, kid._"  
"Shut up, Greed." Ling muttered, rubbing the spot on his forehead where the weapon of choice directly hit. He looked up when Fullmetal came running up the stairs.

"Did someone scream, what's going…on?" Edward's train of thought drifted away after a quick inspection of his friend. "Aha… Got kicked out, didn't you?" Watching Ling nod, a wicked smirk crossed the alchemist's face and he bent down to the prince's level. "How much did you see?" He asked with a nudge to the Prince-turned-Homunculus' shoulder.

"Kekeke he saw more than just her underwear alright." Greed spoke, mirroring Ed's grin.

* * *

(AN: ...Well it's not 'cute' but it's better than depressing, right? I apologize for any OOC-ness. -bowbow-)


End file.
